Trondheim

Nyhavna, a gigantic harbour area built on a landfill, an artificial landscape of warehouses, World War II heritage, toxic waste, boats, beer and independent culture. The area is large, complex and occasionally filled with conflict. The local politicians and developers have been waiting to develop it for decades as it sits next to “Midtbyen” the city’s urban core. But lacking alternative harbour areas and long term leases have kept the area “off limit”.

Now, finally a master plan has been presented by the municipality, drawing up the map of change for the future. Two partly overlapping zones constitute the plan: to the south a zone for knowledge intensive work places, to the north a residential zone surrounding a harbour basin. In the latter, you find a sliver of land between the water and the city’s brewery, next to the landmark Dora bunker: Strandveikaia. The area is pinpointed as the first step in the greater harbour development. This is the Europan 13 site in Trondheim.

Europan competitors were asked to present a vision for Strandveikaia working on two levels; firstly, an overall idea for the site and how it works in the greater Nyhavna plan as well as in relationship to the city centre and eastwards urban development. Secondly the competitors were asked to develop an area plan for Strandveikaia including five dimensions; new programming, housing, heritage, public space and process.

The city of Trondheim wants ideas for Strandveikaia, a site part of the greater Nyhavna harbour area. Distinctive waterfront architecture including WWII structures characterize the area and also provide a tremendous resource for a wide range of actors in culture, innovation and nightlife. A brewery on site, Ringnes, plans for a national centre for beer that can be the starting point for a new ecosystem of new urban life. How can the city create an urban space that acts as an engine for the transformation of the rest of the Nyhavna, adapting to sustainability and a growing Trondheim population?

A large potential can be realized by developing Strandveikaia. The existing buildings represent an important resource and new buildings can contribute to the creation of a unique area in the city, mixing old and new architecture with an array of programs. An important task will be to examine how the waterfront can be developed over time, considering different scales of interventions and temporary programs. The area is as a game board where several initiatives can be taken simultaneously. The competition should envision how current and new actors can become a part of the future of this area.